This was one of those nights in the sports industry that becomes hard to talk about without sounding like a braggart and a name-dropper.

For last night’s Knicks/Celtics game at Madison Square Garden, I used my media credential to go behind the scenes and visit both locker rooms. When it was time for tip-off, I used my invite to a luxury suite — where I was part of a select group brought in to celebrate the launch of KnicksNow.com, the team’s new interactive social media website — to watch the game from the rich-people seats with rich-people amenities. And then after the game, maybe the best of the NBA season so far, I used my media pass again to access the locker rooms and catch the aftermath of an instant classic. Here’s how it all went down:

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* It’s unspoken NBA protocol that superstars usually find ways to duck out on the League-mandated pre-game media session. As long as a player is in the training room and not the general locker room, he’s mostly off-limits. (Though I have seen big-timers like Gus Johnson and Stephen A. Smith saunter into the training room in MSG’s visitor’s locker room before.)

So if, say, the Spurs are in town, I can talk to George Hill and Gary Neal and DeJuan Blair all I want for 45 minutes, but odds are Tim Duncan and Tony Parker won’t show. (Manu Ginobili usually makes an appearance for the Spanish-speaking media.) With the Celtics, it was on another level. Not only was about half the team in the training room, the door to that room was closed, the first time I’ve seen that. The only players lounging in the locker room were Big Baby, Avery Bradley, Luke Harangody and Marquis Daniels, and that’s when they weren’t on the court working out.

* Ray Allen (owner of the largest calves in the world) made himself available for a few minutes, and of course was bombarded with “Is the rivalry back?” questions. When things slowed down and the crowd cleared out a bit, Ray ended up chatting about the new Tron movie and how, when he read The Da Vinci Code, he always imagined Liam Neeson playing the main character.

* Among the notes written on the Celtics’ dry-erase board: “Don’t settle.” On the Knicks’ board: “Be mentally tough today EVERY POSSESSION.”

In the hallway where the suites are situation, I ran into Charles Smith. He tried to put a chicken sandwich in his mouth, missed, tried again, missed again, tried again, missed again…

* I spent a lot of the first half doing the schmoozing/networking/free food thing, so honestly I missed a lot of the action on the court. Ray Felton hit a running three off the glass at the halftime buzzer to put the Knicks up 58-51 at the break.

* About five minutes after both teams went to the locker room, Ray Allen was back on the court shooting free throws. For a while he was the only player out there. By the time his teammates joined him, you could see the Celtics’ level of focus. Allen was only practicing threes and free throws. KG was only working on 18- and 20-footers from either side of the key. Why? These are the shots they get in games. You don’t see any Celtics practicing without a purpose. That was a staple of the Isiah Thomas-era Knicks: You could always find Eddy Curry or Jerome James working on their crossovers 20 feet from the basket during warm-ups, while Nate Robinson honed his form on half-court heaves. Last night, Nate warmed up with pull-up jumpers in the lane.

* As the third quarter gets underway, somebody asks me, “Do you think the Knicks are gonna do this?” Right after I say, “I think the Celtics are gonna make a run,” Boston rips off a 7-0 run to tie it up: Allen dunk, Paul Pierce fadeaway, Pierce three. The MSG crowd, which has been good but not as electric as expected, was really starting to buzz with a nervous injury. It’s like the reverse of Red Sox fans when the Yankees start to make a run on them.

* Danilo Gallinari was incredible in the second half. He hit a swooping lefty hook, a baseline drive where he dunked it backwards and swung on the rim, another baseline drive where he punched a two-hand dunk on KG, stuck a couple open threes, and in the final minute got a left-hand scoop shot and-one that brought rain down with it. He looked like a more athletic, less-awkward Dirk Nowitzki. Question: If the Raptors were offered Gallinari for Andrea Bargnani straight-up, do they take that deal? I think Gallo could score just as much as Bargnani if he were the No. 1 option, plus he wouldn’t be playing center, so Toronto could go out and get a real five.

* With 0.1 on the clock at the end of the third quarter, Pierce fouls Felton while he was shooting a three. The free throws make it 90-83, putting the C’s right back where they started coming out of halftime.

* I missed the Rajon Rondo injury when it happened, but when he returned to the court he was noticeably limping. As usual, however, he wasn’t available after the game to talk about it. Garnett and Pierce both said they were concerned.

* In one 15-second sequence, Big Baby hit the deck three times: After spectacularly missing a dunk, then trying to run back down on D, then when he baited Amar’e Stoudemire into an offensive foul. Is he hustling or just clumsy? A Celtics fan I know says both.

* Four things that need to die:
1. The phrase “‘Nuff said”
2. The “FAIL” phenomenon. (Or at least “epic fail”)
3. Describing any controversy using the suffix “-gate”
4. The idea that Rondo only racks up assists because he plays with Hall of Fame teammates.

Watching the game from a high angle in-person only confirmed what I’ve been saying: Rondo makes plays happen with his dribble-penetration, and sees angles other point guards don’t see. He draws defenders into moving where he wants them to move in order to create open looks for his teammates. They just have to make the shots. If he was playing with the Cavs he’d still average at least 10 dimes a night.

Join The Discussion

nice one. man, must be awesome to experience something like that. we should get more behind the scenes stuff. that was one good walkthrough, ab.

with the way he celebrated last night, gotta wonder if Paul Pierce received a few pointers from The Miz himself… lol

12.16.10 at 12:23 pm

JBaller

Thank you for the great article Austin. I’ve been waiting years for the Knicks to be relevant again. It doesn’t have to be an instant rivalry to be a good game, and the Knicks took them to the wire last night. If Amare’s last shot counted NY fans would’ve gone nuts!

12.16.10 at 12:46 pm

Sporty-j

Time to bring the HEAT to MSG!!! Wade is going to DUNK on somebody. My guess??? SPIKE LEE if he brings his A$$ on the court trying to persuade the refs that AMARE can get a shot off in 4 tenths of a second lol??? Man i must admit i kind of feel sorry for the guy but to watch the faces of those Knick fans look like they had just lost they best-friend when Paul Pu$$y hit that game winner WAS PRICELESS. Than to watch LEE at the center of the court screaming like MARK CUBAN. Yep, PRICE-LESS. I cant imagine him on FRIDAY NIGHT and i know its going to be rocking. Would be funny if LEBRON delivers the dagger this time after he already delivered 1 this summer to SPIKE and the Knick fans that he was taking his talent to SOUTH BEACH instead of BROADWAY. Poor guy might lose his mind and start chasing LEBRON lol…

12.16.10 at 12:57 pm

Mitch

The perspective was unreal…I felt like I was in the type of movie shot where the camera was following the narrator. That being said…I have to comment on an article from couple days back where you guys did not mention the James Harden dunk on JJ Hickson. I know other readers commented but I wanted to mention it jus cuz…

pz

12.16.10 at 1:11 pm

IGP

I really appreciate you even more as a writer after your “Four Things That Need to Die” line. I fucking hate when people say “nuff said” and adding “-gate” to the end of anything is so annoying. And if playing with all stars makes you average 20 assists then why the hell is Arroyo killing it this year? All he has to do is give the ball to James, Bosh or Wade right?

12.16.10 at 1:50 pm

JoshG

interesting…nice work AB.

12.16.10 at 1:56 pm

Chaos

Honestly the L needs rivalries again. The NFL and MLB have those and it makes the game that much better. But in order to have it there has to be some level of animosity between the two teams (like DAL/WAS, PIT/BAL, NYY/BOS). There needs to be some kinda rivalry and every is too buddy buddy for that….

Honestly how likey is it for ray felton to be an all star. He is the third best performing pg in the east right now. Call me out if I’m lying

12.16.10 at 2:02 pm

IGP

@ Chaos…I think Felton is an All-Star. When I think of all-stars I think of who is impacting the league the most as well as stats and wins. That’s partly why Kevin Love and Blake Griffin are locks in my opinion. Their teams sucks but I wanna see the best players and the players who help define the season. Tell me when you look at the season so far you don’t think of Kevin Love and Griffin?

12.16.10 at 2:11 pm

Steve Nash

Felize Lopez… really… is he the ball boy or something? what happened to him

12.16.10 at 2:28 pm

Hoops

Knicks dominated from the start but the mighty C’s stole it in the end. Hard luck Amar’e.

12.16.10 at 2:34 pm

karizmatic

Yeah people do need to realize Rondo is the real deal..at first I was one of those people that said oh well he’s on a team with 3 (now 4) future all stars it’s easy. But after seeing him this year the dude is the real deal. I think he’s the best point guard in the league.

12.16.10 at 2:36 pm

karizmatic

Also I agree with Chaos…in the East it’s Rondo and Rose…Felton isn’t getting any looks over them.

12.16.10 at 2:57 pm

Sporty-j

Felton should make it as 3rd string PG. Does N.Y. trade him next though for lets say, a guy by the name of CP3 if he keeps this level of play up??? Dude is passing the ball just as good as CP3 right now and is shooting lights out???